Chelmsford

Chelmsford's population grew in the decade leading up to the most recent census. At the same time there were changes in housing tenure, religion and work life.

The population reached nearly 170,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Chelmsford increased by 7.2%, from just over 157,000 to 168,000.

The addition of about 11,000 people means this area's population increased at a similar rate to the overall population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Chelmsford was home to, on average, 3.5 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across Eastof England

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across Eastof England, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Rise in private renting

Census 2011 data also show a housing tenure change in Chelmsford.

The percentage of households in Chelmsford that rented privately increased from 6.7% in 2001 to 12% in 2011.

The proportion that lived in social housing remained close to 13%, while the percentage of Chelmsford households that owner their home decreased from 78% to 73%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 8.6% in 2001 to 15% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Chelmsford increased by 5.3 percentage points

Percentage of households in Chelmsford, Eastof England and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Chelmsford

The number of people in Chelmsford that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 26,000 in 2001 to about 47,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 16% to 28% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across Eastof England (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Chelmsford that described themselves as Christian decreased from just under 120,000 in 2001 to just over 100,000 in 2011 (from 75% to 62%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from just over 11,000 to about 12,000. Both of these figures represented about 7.0% of the total population at the time of the 2001 and 2011 censuses.

Just over 2,000 people (0.7%) said they were Muslim, up from about 1,100 in 2001 (1.2%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Chelmsford increased by 12 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Chelmsford by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Chelmsford working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 15% to 12% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.9%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 2.0% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 15% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Chelmsford decreased by 3.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Chelmsford, Eastof England and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Chelmsford residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 6.1% to 3.7% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (85%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 74% in 2001. The percentage of Chelmsford residents that described their health as fair decreased from 20% to 11%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 7.6% in 2001 to 4.7% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Chelmsford decreased by 2.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Chelmsford, Eastof England and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in rate of unemployment

The percentage of Chelmsford residents that were unemployed increased from 2.1% to 3.4% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just under 6 in 10 (57%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 58% in 2001. The percentage of Chelmsford residents that were self-employed increased from 9.0% to 10%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 2.6% in 2001 to 3.8% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 3.4% to 4.4%.

The rate of unemployment in Chelmsford increased by 1.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Chelmsford, Eastof England and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

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